Family Rights Activist to Invest in the Next Generation

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One of Monica's favorite quotes is by Jewish religious leader, Hillel the Elder. He said, “If not now, when?” The day Monica decided to run for office, she stated, "It’s time for me to plunge forward and take a stand for this next generation. There’s always a reason to sit back and complain about the current issues plaguing Connecticut, but I have run out of excuses to not do more. If I don't do this now, when will I?" Today, she formally announces her bid for State Representative for the 31st District in Glastonbury.

As a former lifelong Democrat, Monica converted to a “Green” in 2016. She is a mother, wife, author, business owner and crusader of justice. She is thankful to live in Glastonbury every day, with its commitment to education, local farming and its health-conscious residents.

Monica is a mom to a child with autism. In the past decade, she has banded with parents who struggle to identify the core challenges in their children as they grow. One of her life’s missions is empowering people with disabilities and illness to seek out alternative remedies that work best for them, rather than being bullied by insurance companies to only follow the pharmaceutical model. In her own holistic health practice, she encourages her clients to seek alternative remedies to surgeries and drugs. When parenting her child, she urges him to stand up for his rights, as no one can do this better than he can. Monica recently attended Family Day with Arc Connecticut and feels the budget for individuals with disabilities needs to expand to allow young adults to integrate, as was the intent of the American with Disabilities Act. This belief shapes many of her core issues she intends on fighting for.

Monica is a 2005 graduate of the UCONN School of Agriculture and a 2012 graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She has been a self-employed abdominal therapist for several years. Although her career in the wellness field is satisfying, her longtime advocacy work is where her true passion lies. This transpired in 2013 when a Southbury-based nonprofit connected her with the Coalition for Connecticut Family Court Reform, where she assisted in the passing of Public Act 14-3 in 2014. She then launched a legal abuse support group in South Windsor and began guest blogging for nonprofit organizations. Monica published a self-help book entitled "Broken System, Broken Heart", which guides parents through the aftermath of Family Court-based legal abuse. From there, she coached dozens of mothers through the loss of their children following divorce. In 2017, she graduated from the Parent Leadership Training Institute in West Hartford where she learned about local government and parent advocacy.

For over eight years, Monica carried herself through the Family and Appellate courts as a self-represented litigant, which necessitated hundreds of hours of self-guided legal research. As a non-lawyer, taking on the legal system gave her much appreciation for politics and law, and is a large part of what brings her here. After consulting with hundreds of Connecticut parents, Monica learned that the family legal system unduly burdens Connecticut’s starving budget and is a menace to public health.

Monica is committed to reversing Connecticut's dystopian model of stripping away parent-child rights following divorce. Fit parents who lose most of their rights often attempt to “buy back” their children with 100% of their assets. They go on to declare bankruptcy, foreclose on their homes, and spiral into mental illness. Children fare no better. When children are stripped of a fit parent after a divorce or are wrongfully displaced by DCF, they often become violent, truant and mentally ill. Special Education budgets are forced to expand to manage these needy children. Monica fears that in 20 years, the military and workforce will collapse if too many young men and women are not mentally healthy enough to launch into adulthood. Monica asserts that losing access to a loving parent exacerbates a child's ability to thrive, and that health insurance companies and Medicaid are burdened with paying for psychotropic medications these children depend on in order to function. She states that multiple institutions are forced to fill voids that a fit parent used to fill, and this is costly to all of us, monetarily and socially.

If elected, Monica will put every effort into reforming these catastrophic social issues. She will push for adequate funding for young, disabled adults to be independent from their aging parents. Healthcare autonomy and freedom for citizens to take control of their own health challenges without undue financial burdens is her priority. Monica states, "Big Pharma is not the only solution to every disease, and taxpayers are not going to be fooled for much longer. Our next generation depends on us to reverse these trends today. Waiting for our young people to inherit and fix these problems is not acceptable. Failing to invest in the next generation is not acceptable."

Although much work is needed in these areas, they overlap with one another. Empowered citizens stimulate the economy and strengthen families. A state free of unwarranted government interference into the rights of its citizens is long overdue. When harmful statutes and policies are gutted and/or reformed, the effect will be swift and pronounced.

Please consider pledging a donation to advance Monica's campaign and reach the voters! Because of her Green Party affiliation, she is still collecting signatures to get on the ballot. Your pledges today will convert to real donations in early May 2018.

In order to qualify for the Citizens' Election Program, which provides candidates with public money to supplement their campaigns, Monica must raise $5,100 in total and receive donations between $5-$250 from 150 individuals living in Glastonbury. Donations from outside the district will be accepted, but will not count towards the total of 150 donors

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Recent endorsements

“I support Monica Szymonik with all my heart. She is for all the right reasons. She's smart, she understands the system and she's driven. She and her husband are active advocates for Children and Parents. We need someone who is there. Not just Listening - Hearing. She got my hand when I need it.”

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Recent endorsements

“I support Monica Szymonik with all my heart. She is for all the right reasons. She's smart, she understands the system and she's driven. She and her husband are active advocates for Children and Parents. We need someone who is there. Not just Listening - Hearing. She got my hand when I need it.”